Garruk and Avancyn
by FutureCam
Summary: Inspired by 'Gotrek and Felix'. One day, Innistrad recieves a visitor. On that night, a young Slayer of the Wicked named Avancyn has an encounter that will shape his fate and the fate of Innistrad for decades to come..
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Well, since Innistrad has been out a while and I've acquainted myself with the cards, I found myself wanting to tell the story of a few – three of which I got in a recent draft deck, and proceeded to mop the floor with everyone. Those three were Garruk, Slayer of the Wicked and Captivating Vampire. While Garruk's official story will be told at some point, I thought that since I was re-reading William King's excellent Gotrek and Felix books from the Black Library I could do a sort of 'potential story' for the three. This was the end result. Note that it does borrow heavily from those books in terms of plot ideas, pacing and so on. Then again, it is fanfiction, so I suppose it doesn't matter that much -_-'. Enjoy!  
><em>**

**Garruk and Avancyn**

**Chapter One – Harvest Moon Rising**

_By FutureCam_

_Inspired by William King's "Gotrek and Felix" novels_

"Damn all ill-tempered drivers!" Garruk Wildspeaker muttered, adding a curse under his breath.

"You just had to go and insult the Lady Avacy, didn't you?" His companion said peevishly. "As things are, we're lucky they didn't just shoot us – If you can call it lucky to be stranded in the forests of Stensia on Rising Night."  
>"We paid for our passage." Garruk grunted. "We had just as much a right to sit inside as her. The drivers were unmanly cowards. They refused to meet me steel to steel, and being spitted by crossbow bolts is not a worthy end to mine curse."<p>

His companion, a tall human man with cropped brown hair, shook his head in disgust. There was no point in arguing with him while he was like this, and he had other things to worry about. Sniffling, he cast a worried glance about the forest. The setting sun and rising moon were casting ominous shadows amongst the evergreen trees, reminding him of the horrors that could be waiting beneath them. He let out a sudden, wracking cough.  
>"I may be getting a fever." He said to himself quietly. Somehow, the giant planeswalker ahead heard him and grunted noncommittally.<br>"Don't get too weak, now, Avancyn. I need you to control me."  
>'<em>Ah yes. I remember.<em>' Avancyn thought bitterly to himself.

_"Come on, gentlemen; leave the girl alone, that's all I'm asking." Avancyn said calmly, keeping his hands clearly away from his weapons. "Avacyn knows that we need every able-bodied man and woman."  
>The drunken trackers laughed. "Leave the girl alone!" One of them mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "Just get out of our way, pretty boy."<em>

_Avancyn sighed and dropped his hand back down to his sword hilt when a loud howling ripped through the air._

"_What's that? Werewolves?" One of the drunkards asked nervously. "I don't wanna tangle with no werewolf!"  
>"Shut up and stay quiet!" Avancyn snapped. "If they hear you, you're dead!"<br>The three drunkards stopped whimpering even as the short blond girl they were stalking moved closer to Avancyn, who tensed up._

"…_these aren't werewolf howls-"He realized, just before a massive man, veins bursting around his neck, dropped from a rooftop in front of him. The drunkards howled in fear, attempting to run away, only for a massive two-handed axe in one ham-sized fist to cut them all down in three swipes. The man turned to him, growling. Avancyn nodded at the girl.  
>"Return home. Run!"<br>The girl fled without any hesitation. Avancyn drew his sword and stake, and settled down into a fighting stance. The roaring man turned to him, snarling, and Avancyn recoiled as he got his first look into eyes of pitch black._

"_Avacyn save us!" He blurted on reflex. Nothing he said changed the man's posture – or, undoubtedly, his intent. The man hurtled himself at Avancyn, only for him to duck and ram a stake through his shoulder. The man reeled back, yanking the stake out with a snarl, but was splashed in the face with blessed water from Avancyn's flask, blinding him. Howling in rage, he dived one last time, but Avancyn snapped a silver collar, studded with white rocks around his neck, and he collapsed to his knees. His eyes cleared, and the veins and muscles in his body relaxed slightly. A now slightly dazed man glanced up at Avancyn._

"_You…I lost control. Where are we?"_

Avancyn was snapped from his reveries by a constantly increasing rumbling sound. Puzzled, he turned around, just as Garruk did too-just as a pitch black carriage, drawn by a pair of brown stallions, rammed right into them!  
>He went spinning off the bark path into the trees, while Garruk was forced below it, cursing. The carriage kept on going, and a dazed Avancyn walked over to Garruk, who stood up, bruised but otherwise fine.<p>

"The saproling fondlers ran me over!" Garruk roared. Avancyn winced in pain from the proximity and volume, combined with his throbbing head. "Let's get after them!"  
>He turned and headed up the road at a fast trot.<p>

**  
>Further down the Grefhaghen road the pair found the Avacyn's Watch Inn. The windows were shuttered and no lights showed. They could hear a neighing from the stables but when they checked there was no coach, black or otherwise, only some skittish ponies and a peddler's cart.<br>"We've lost the coach, might as well get a bed for the night." Avancyn suggested. He glanced warily at the Harvest Moon, now raised completely. "I do not like being abroad in this evil light."  
>"You are feeble, <em>slayer –<em>and cowardly too."  
>"They'll have beer."<br>"On the other hand your suggestions are not entirely foolish." Garruk conceded. "Watery though Innistrad Ale is, of course."  
>"Of course." Avancyn said. Garruk failed to spot the irony in his voice.<p>

The inn was not fortified but the walls were thick, and when they tried the door they found it was barred. Garruk began to bang it with the butt of his axe-shaft, to no response. Garruk sniffed heavily a few times.

"It's occupied. Humans." He growled. "I can smell them."

"They'll have locked themselves in. No-one in their right mind would be travelling on Rising Night – not unless they're inhuman or demon lovers."  
>"The black coach was travelling."<p>

"It's occupants were up to no good. The windows were curtained, and it bore no coat-of-arms."  
>"My throat is too dry to discuss such details. Come on, open up in there or I'll take my axe to the door!"<p>

There was a brief scurrying of movement inside before the door opened up. Garruk blinked in surprise at the portly old man trying to stab him with a pitchfork. "I'm human, fool." He grunted, pushing past him. Avancyn scurried behind him, apologizing frantically.

"I'm so sorry. We just need a room for the night-"  
>"And Ale."<br>"-Yes, and Ale." Avancyn conceded.

"_So, you're a planeswalker." Avancyn said slowly. "I would disbelieve you, but then again, I've never seen some of the things you did."  
>Garruk grunted, slamming his third tankard down on the table. <em>

"_For example, no-one has ever called that watery before." Avancyn muttered. "And most are unconscious by the second glass."_

_Garruk just pointed at his collar._

"_Look, what is this thing?"  
>"Blessed silver and moon-fragments." Avancyn shrugged. "Slayers of the Wicked, like myself, use them to contain demons."<br>Garruk grunted again. "Whatever it is, it's sealed away my curse."  
>"And your powers." Avancyn mused. "Because whatever that hand-movement you've been making for the last half hour is, it wasn't working."<br>Garruk shoved his hand inside his ripped tunic. "It should be opening a planesgate. But, I suppose my powers as a planeswalker and spellcaster being lost are a small price to pay for control of my own body while I hunt down the witch who gave me this curse."  
>There was a silent pause. Then, Avancyn said something he'd regret for the rest of his life.<em>

"_May I come with you?"  
>"Eh?"<br>"This witch needs put down. It is the holy duty of the slayers to purge evil wherever it may be found."_

"_I don't know." Garruk frowned. "This is my curse, thus it is MY justice to be delivered."  
>"The curse I contained?" Avancyn said drunkenly. "I stopped you before. Maybe I could stop you again, should the collar stop working." He blinked. "…are you turning into a carrot?"<br>Garruk, ignoring that last statement, grinned and slit his palm on his axe.  
>"Blood oath, then – may we never rest until Liliana Vess is found and slaughtered!"<br>On his third attempt, Avancyn cut his own palm on his silver dagger. "Indeed."  
>The two shook hands, and then gulped down their beers. Avancyn's eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed off his stool.<br>_**

"Can you pay, Herr Slayer?" the innkeeper said with a grunt. Avancyn nodded and pulled out one Gold Angel and three Silver Herons.  
>"This should suffice for the room and food." He said, before pulling out a handful of Copper Cathars. "And two Gavony Ales, please."<br>"And one for the boy." Garruk grunted, his axe resting against the table within easy grabbing distance. A group of peddlers in the corner looked at him uneasily, causing him to grunt and get up, walking over to them.

"Do any of you know of a black coach?"  
>"You have seen it?" One of the men said fearfully.<br>"Seen it? The bloody thing ran me over!" A man gasped. Avancyn groaned and ran a hand down his face.

"You are lucky it did not do more, then." The fattest and most prosperous-looking peddler said. "Some say the coach is driven by the slaves of the Vampires, and that each rising night it comes through here, looking for travelers to capture to feed their masters."  
>Garruk looked at him with interest – even Avancyn was drawn to the man's story.<p>

"Surely it's only a legend. The vampires keep to themselves here, don't they?" He asked, sipping at his ale and wincing at the inevitable hangover he was going to get.

"No, sir" The innkeeper shouted. "Every year we hear the thunder of its passing – two years ago, Valencio looked out and saw it, a black coach just as you describe."  
>At the mention of that name, an old woman in the corner began to wail. The innkeeper brought over two large bowls of stew.<p>

"The old hag is discomfited." Garruk noted, wolfing down his meal. The innkeeper nodded.

"Valencio was her son. He went missing last night."  
>"Lost in the woods, perhaps?"<br>"Valencio was a woodcutter. He would never get lost – the woods were like a second home to him. No, I fear the Black Coach took him."

"I see." Garruk said simply. Avancyn groaned.

"No. No, no NO-"  
>"We're going, Slayer. Or are you a coward?"<br>Avancyn sighed. "We're hunting vampires on the night they are at their strongest?"  
>Garruk looked at him. "Isn't that your job?"<br>Avancyn reached for his sword, muttering to himself. "This is going to get us killed at some point."  
>"Well, we better be ready to punch death in the nose, right?"<br>"You'll find my Valencio?" The old woman asked in shock. Avancyn inclined his head.

"That appears to be our goal." He admitted.

"What do you think these are, slayer?" Garruk asked, bending close to the ground. Ahead of them, the road continued on into the heart of Stensia. Avancyn leaned on the league marker – this was the edge of the trail. He hoped their guide had returned home safely.

"Tracks. Going north." He said calmly. "Coach tracks. And to the north…"  
>"Aye?"<br>Avancyn sighed. "The Darkstone Ring – a group of stones local myths say are connected with demons and the like."  
>Garruk grinned ferally. "Our Black Coach"<p>

"It would appear so."

They trudged wearily through the forest. Overhead, the new Harvest Moon loomed threateningly. A light mist had gathered and the terrain they moved through was bleak and wild. Rocks broke through the ground frequently.

Sometimes they thought they had heard the sound of great wings passing overhead, but they could only see the glow in the sky, and the distortions of the mist.

There was a sense of wrongness around this place, Avancyn decided. The air tasted foul, and the hairs on his neck constantly prickled. Mighty forces were gathering close to here, he was certain – he felt like an insect crawling across the body of a giant that could at any moment awake and crush him.

Out of the mists, something shambled. Once it had been a man, Avancyn decided. The outline was still there. It was as if some mad god held the creature close to a daemonic fire until flesh dripped and ran, then had left it to set in a new and abhorrent form.

"This night we will dance" It said, in a high-pitched voice that held no hint of sanity. "Dance and touch!"  
>It raised its hands to the sky, and as one, a group of cultists moved around him and the collapsed stones, forming a ring, chanting. Avancyn and Garruk hid behind a pair of destroyed pillars, realizing that they had already arrived at the Darkstone Ring.<p>

Garruk pointed through the mist, and Avancyn made out the vague shadow of the Black Coach.

"Not vampires, then." He said conversationally. Avancyn shuddered and reached for a silver collar on his belt instinctively.  
>"No. Much worse. Skirsdag."<br>"Skirsdag?"  
>"Demon worshippers."<br>Garruk's face grew bleak in understanding. "Ah."  
>"Exactly. We have to stop this ritual!"<br>Garruk pulled his axe off his back. "Kill 'em all?"  
>Avancyn sighed and drew his longsword. "I guess that could work."<p>

The two whirled around the pillar and charged through the mist. The cultists, so occupied in their chanting, didn't notice them until they burst into the middle of the circle in a spray of blood, Avancyn having slit a throat and Garruk cutting three down with his axe. The remaining number reeled in shock, while Garruk roared in defiance. Avancyn made a mad dash to the scarred and mutilated leader, an old blind man now that he was closer. He held his hands up in weakness.

"No, wait-"  
>Avancyn didn't let him finish, ramming his longsword up through his head from the base of his neck, kicking the body off. The remaining cultists charged, long daggers flashing in the mist. Garruk was suffering from a dozen small cuts on his arms already, but his strong overcoat was stopping the glancing blows at his chest. One frantic stab at his head was deflected by his helmet, and Garruk's strong jaws clamped down on the unfortunate man's wrist, snapping it. Bodies were cleft in two left and right by mighty swings of the greataxe, laughing in glee and bloodlust. Black veins swelled underneath his restraining collar, and Avancyn realized that this had to end quickly, before Garruk's curse overwhelmed his restraints.<br>Another shape swooped down over his head, and he ducked quickly. The shape revealed itself to be a bat, which shifted into an attractive female, who crouched behind the cultists. Avancyn's eyes widened.

"Garruk! Look out, Vampire!"  
>The insane from bloodlust Garruk let out a roar of challenge and dove through the few remaining cultists, smashing them to the side. The female vampire cocked her head, interested, and lashed out with one fist, catching Garruk on his temple and sending him flying backwards into a pillar, which collapsed on him. His movements ceased.<br>Avancyn stared in shock. The vampire turned to him and inclined her head.

"I have to thank you two for stopping this ritual. I was worried I may get my hands dirty." She said conversationally. "Who are you, Slayer?"  
>"My name is Avancyn." He said nervously, creeping towards her. "And you?"<br>"My human name was Anastasia." She nodded, before kneeling at one of the corpses and pulling back its hood. "I do not believe that you should return to that inn tonight."  
>Avancyn glanced at the body, and grimaced. The man had a pendant with the same symbol as the inn's door – Valencio.<p>

"I see."  
>There was a brief pause.<br>"Are you thinking about trying to kill me?" Anastasia asked incredulously.

"It is sort of my job, so yes." Avancyn said frankly. Anastasia burst out laughing.  
>"Oh, I like you. Yes, I think I'll let you live. There's a decent lodge in Stromkirk that needs some hired muscle, you should try out there while your friend gathers information."<br>Avancyn raised an eyebrow.  
>"You know who he is?"<br>"I know who he's looking for. She was in Stromkirk last week – the locals should tell you more." She laughed. "Until we meet again, Avancyn"  
>The woman turned back into a bat and fluttered away. Garruk groaned as he regained consciousness.<p>

"Avancyn? Where's the vampire, is she dead?"  
>"No. She helped us." Avancyn said slowly. Before Garruk could ask any more questions, he threw a small sack of gold he'd found on the ground at him. "Let's get moving. She said Liliana was in Stromkirk last week, we should get more information there."<br>Garruk perked up considerably. "Stromkirk, eh? Let's have a look, then, shall we?"

From that day on, local legends told of some horrible ritual, summoning an axe-wielding demon who killed many who were brought forwards to be its sacrifice, including Valencio, the innkeep's nephew. The demon appeared to have wielding a great axe and a blade, and had destroyed the Darkstone Ring completely before vanishing.

The vampires of the township knew better, but the local sheep could do without knowing of their unwitting Slayer agent and his planeswalker pet, so they encouraged it, and even scorched the Ring one night to make it appear as though some hellish firestorm had swept through it.

**  
><em>AN: So…horrible? Meh? Enjoyable? Tolkein-level? Tell me what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Back again, folks! Anyway, once again before I get started, I heavily recommend that you read William King's 'Gotrek and Felix' books from the Black Library, even if just as good old-fashioned 'dumb action-fantasy fun'. They were a major inspiration for this story, and the books themselves are excellent._

_As forewarning, starting from next week most AN's will be fanboy rants on recently previewed Dark Ascension cards._

_One last quick note, I'm not 100% sure if I'm correct, but I'm using Stromkirk (From Stromkirk Noble/Stromkirk Patrol) as the capital of Stensia. On the origin of names and phrases in this story, from this point on I'm drawing heavily from Germanic sources in terms of the names of people and places, seeing as how much Gothic Horror is in the same region, and Innistrad is basically Gothic Horror: MTG edition.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Garruk and Avancyn<strong>

**Chapter Two – Destiny Met in Stromkirk**

_By FutureCam_

_Inspired by William King's "Gotrek and Felix" novels_

**  
><em>Avancyn's diary, day 128 of the 105<em>_th__ year since Avacyn Rising._

_We arrived in Stromkirk about two days after our encounter at the Darkstone Ring and Anastasia, on her recommendation. It turns out that the locals have heard of Liliana, and that she passed through briefly about a week ago. Garruk wanted to leave immediately, but we were running low on money, being down to our last few Bronze Cathars. Fortunately, the tavern we were staying at offered to take us on as bouncers until their regular recovered – some kind of accident when he was invited up to the keep, he says._

_If you ask me, everyone in this town acts suspiciously. The guards in their heavy plate armor keep their faces concealed, and everyone just seems in a rush to go to where they need to as soon as possible. Why is it that, considering that Stromkirk is meant to be the least affected of all undead and werewolf attacks?  
>Now, vampires, that's another story – but no self-respecting citizen would just let a vampire order them around.<em>

Avancyn shut the musty tome he was writing in and carefully put away his quill. Across the table, Garruk grunted into his fifth Gavony Ale.  
>"Why bother writing in that thing if you're just going to get killed one day anyway?"<br>"So others can remember who I was." He said calmly. "Too many good men just get treated as statistics, and I don't intend to become one."  
>Garruk put down his tankard and belched. "Well, aren't you the odd one, Slayer." He wiped the sleeve of his longcoat against his mouth, causing Avancyn to wince. "What?"<br>"That coat cost me twenty Silver Herons." He moaned, clutching his head. "You've had it one month and we've already had to repair it three times. Treat it with a little more respect…"  
>Garruk waved him off. "Please. It's practically leather armor, it can take a little ale."<br>Avancyn just sighed and got up. "Well, it's just about rush hour. You want to take the first shift or should I?"  
>"You go ahead. I'll enjoy my daily ale ration a bit more. Thanks for giving me yours, Slayer!"<br>"Yeah, yeah" Avancyn sighed, leaving their shared chambers and belting on his sword. "Evening, Johan."  
>"Good evening, Avancyn." The portly bartender nodded. "Taking first shift?"<br>"Correct." He walked over to his usual place, leaning against a pillar near the door. "Garruk still isn't drunk."  
>Johan snorted. "If I could make ale that could knock him out in one cup I'd be the richest man in Stensia."<br>Avancyn shared a chuckle with him before the first of the regulars came in the front door. He liked Johan, he was an honest worker, something that was hard to find on Innistrad these days. In less than a few minutes the tavern was full of noise, music, and muscular men trying to impress the barmaids. Avancyn sighed as the regular monotomy of the job sank in.

Look around, nod to someone trying to appear friendly, throw guy out after one of the barmaids shrieked, rinse, repeat, look at strange black-clad veil-wearing woman in corner…wait, what?  
>Avancyn glanced at her, only to have her continue to stare at him. Well, that was…odd. He could deal with it later, he decided, and returned to the monotomy.<p>

Then, about two hours in, the bar reached critical mass, and double shift began with Garruk. Due to Garruk's massive size, and vast amounts of alcohol consumed by both parties, Avancyn spent most of his time 'reminding' Garruk that he didn't need to crush that trapper's skull for feeling up Anna, just throw him out the door. Then, he had to less-than-gently remind him that the door was the open thing, not the glass thing, and that the repairs for that window were coming out of his wages.

Two hours of this, and finally things began to die down and it became Garruk's shift only. This mere fact alone caused a mass vacancy of the tavern, much to Johan's amusement.

"You sure you don't want to stay on for a while after this week?" He asked Garruk. "Maybe even come back later?"  
>Garruk shook his head, smiling. "Sorry, Johan. This was always meant to be temporary."<br>Avancyn smiled as the two resorted to friendly banter over ale before realizing that the woman was still there, and still staring at him. Sighing, he walked over to her.

"Are you alright, Fraulien? You've been sitting there for over five hours-"  
>He stopped in horror. Underneath her veil, Anastasia smiled at him.<p>

"Herr Avancyn. Please, have a seat."  
>"And if I wish to stand?" Avancyn asked, his hand sliding towards his sword. Anastasia sighed and pursed her lips.<br>"Then I kill Johan, hurt Garruk and break both your knees so you have no choice." She said, no longer faking friendliness. Avancyn blanched and took said seat. She smiled again.

"See? That's better. I hate resorting to violence."  
>Avancyn just scowled at her. "We could take you."<br>"Oh, I don't doubt that. Take the shackle off of your planeswalker pet and I'm a dead woman." She said casually, stirring her wine with the tip of her finger. At least, Avancyn hoped it was wine. "However, chances are everyone in a decent radius dies too. Personally, I don't think you'd take that risk."  
>Avancyn took his hand off his sword, slowly. "What do you want?"<p>

Anastasia sighed. "So many things, Herr Avancyn. To be the matriarch of my brood, overthrow the Markov, rule all Stensia…But from you? All I'm asking is a favor."  
>"I don't owe you any."<br>"This is the kind of favor you do if you wish to retain a decent amount of your blood." Anastasia said casually. Avancyn nodded.  
>"Ah. That kind of favor."<br>"Indeed. Now, what have you noticed of this town?"  
>"It's…strange. The patrols never show their face, and the people are worried. The noble has never been seen, yet every week people are invited up to the keep to meet him, but come back injured…" He trailed off as he came to the obvious conclusion. "Oh no."<br>Anastasia smiled. "Oh, _yes_." She said with relish. "You are evidently not as stupid as you appear, Herr Slayer."  
>"Okay, so the town is ruled and policed by vampires. Everyone knows this and does nothing. What do you want me to do?" He hissed. Anastasia smiled faux-sweetly.<br>"Kill a king."

Two hours later, Avancyn was sat at the same table, contemplating what she'd said.

"_What?"  
>"Oh, it's very simple. I want you to kill the Noble of Stromkirk in his keep."<br>"Why?"_

"_Kill him, and the grip of his brood's on this city fails. Then, mine takes over. We'll be much more…lenient than he is."  
>Avancyn began grasping at straws.<em>

"_Why should I? I've got bigger game to hunt down."  
>"Because, if you kill him, you'll get the other half of <em>this_." Anastasia said, dropping a sack of coins on the table. "That sack contains one hundred and fifty Gold Angels, and is only half of your payment."  
>Avancyn whistled. "That's a lot of money."<em>

"_Indeed." Anastasia smiled. "Enough to buy you two good horses, feed, supplies, a tent…enough to get both of you around Innistrad twice and still have twenty Angels left over, if you get the other half."  
>Avancyn sighed. "No good, Garruk would never go for it."<br>"The noble held a conference with Liliana." She said calmly. "Tell him that, and tell him to search his chambers. He'll find something that will help him find her."  
>Avancyn glared at her suspiciously. "Why are you trying to help us? Even if this man does die and your family rules this city, why use us?"<br>Anastasia smiled. "Because, to put it simply, Herr Slayer, it's more fun that way. You are deceptively good company. You have one week, now farewell."  
>She stood up and pushed her now-empty goblet towards him, and he recoiled. She smiled dangerously.<br>"It really was wine, not blood. You are too easy, Herr Slayer."  
>"And you try too hard, Anastasia." He said when she walked out the door. He spotted her winged bat form swoop up into the sky, far away.<em>

**  
>Garruk wandered over to his table, grumbling something indistinctive.<p>

"Learn anything?"  
>Avancyn looked at him for a few seconds, thinking. "I've got a lead on Liliana, but you're not going to like it."<br>Garruk shrugged. "She's already left town, what could be worse?"  
>Avancyn sighed. Time to try and convince Garruk. "That woman I was talking to told me why everyone in this town acts strangely." He said in a hushed whisper. "The noble of Stromkirk Keep is a vampire. Apparently, he had a meeting with Liliana just before she left, apparently giving her directions for something. We need to…'convice' him to give us those same directions."<br>Garruk grinned broadly. "Then do your civic duty and kill the bastard?"  
>Avancyn glanced around in panic. "Avacyn's heart, keep your voice down!" He hissed. Garruk's grin grew wider, but he lowered his voice.<br>"Will we?"  
>"Yes, we'll have no choice. It won't free Stromkirk from their influence, but it should disrupt it enough for us to escape the city."<br>Garruk nodded thoughtfully. "How are we going to do this, then?"  
>"Every week, ten citizens volunteer to be brought up to the keep to meet the noble, apparently to keep him company, but the woman who told me this said that it's so he can feed on them."<p>

Garruk frowned. "You say we volunteer?"  
>"Essentially, yes. We volunteer, get in close, and try to incapacitate him before he does too much damage to us." Avancyn replied. "He's a noble, so he's going to be significantly stronger than the one we faced at Darkstone Ring – and she knocked you out in one blow."<br>Garruk scowled. "There's no need to rub that in, you know." He muttered darkly. "I wasn't myself, and this damn collar restrains a great amount of my power."  
>Avancyn inclined his head in acknowledgment and withdrew the point. "Either way, we need to tread carefully. We've got two days before the next trip to the keep."<p>

_Two days, six hours and twelve minutes later…_

"Well, that didn't quite go as planned." Garruk hissed to Avancyn, before the rear end of the polearm belonging to one of their surrounding vampire guards slammed into his gut and knocked the breath out of him.

"Tell me about it." Avancyn hissed, before the same end whipped itself across the back of his head.  
>"Did you really think it would be that easy, slayer?" One of them chortled, his pitch-black armor polished to a perfect sheen. "I mean, really. You thought you could come in here, kill Herr Sigmund and walk out again?"<br>"Well, you missed this part in the middle where we were going to question him-" Garruk started before another guard kicked him in the head.

"WE DIDN'T TELL YOU TO TALK!" He roared. Garruk winced in pain and glanced desperately to his greataxe in the corner.

"I think your informant tipped him off." He muttered to Avancyn lowly. Avancyn nodded carefully.  
>"I think you may be right, for once."<br>The enormous double doors in front of them swung open, and a particularly well dressed vampire – all frills and sequins – walked out the door, flanked by another pair of guards. Avancyn's eyes flicked around the room quickly – they were outnumbered six-to-one, and although the guards looked weaker than Anastasia was, he had a feeling that the noble was even stronger than she had said he was.

"Herr Avancyn, I presume?" The noble said with a smirk, sitting down on a red armchair next to the blazing fireplace. Avancyn took this moment to look around carefully.

"So this is what one of the infamous Bloodhalls look like?" He said conversationally. "Looks like you could use a better interior decorator."  
>The noble's smirk faltered slightly. "Cute. I am Sigmund, patriarch of the Falkenrath brood."<p>

"Big deal, I bet you bleed the same." Garruk snorted. One of the guards raised his polearms, but Sigmund waved him down.

"Herr Garruk, I'm shocked and appalled at your insinuations!" He said melodramatically. "After all, just because we are vampires does not make us zombies!"  
>"Yeah, for a start, zombies are easier to kill." Avancyn muttered under his breath. "All differences I care about end there, though."<p>

Sigmund glanced at him and pulled out a gold timepiece. "She should be here by now, strange girl."  
>Avancyn flashed him a strange look.<br>"What are you talking about?"  
>"Our mutual informer, Anastasia Markov-Falkenrath" He replied casually. Avancyn's jaw dropped open. "Oh, you didn't really think she'd want to kill her dear old patriarch, did you?" He waited a second. "One of them, anyway."<br>Garruk growled dangerously. "One of them?"  
>Sigmund waved a hand. "I turned her into a vampire but the Markov got first dibs as to who she worked for. Brood politics, nothing you need to concern yourself with, especially considering your fairly short life expectancy."<br>"No, I'm much more interested in you, Garruk Wildspeaker. She told me you were hunting for Liliana. Strange, a hunter tracking another hunter…do you know what she's doing?"  
>Garruk snarled. "I neither know nor care!"<br>Sigmund shrugged. "Fine, be that way. However, you probably should be aware that, at the very least, by the time you'll catch up to her she'll either be dead or far stronger than you are."

Garruk let out a berserk howl of rage and dived for him, arms outstretched. One of the guards intercepted him and knocked him back again. Sigmund raised an interested eyebrow.

"Well, well, well, what is that around your neck? I didn't have you pegged for a man of taste, Wildspeaker…pity, I'll be taking that now."  
>The implications of what he said sank into Avancyn while Sigmund walked towards him.<p>

_He thinks the collar is just jewelry, which means Anastasia didn't tell him everything, which means that Anastasia really does want him dead and this is her way of helping us!  
>Why can't she just do things the easy way?<em>  
>Sigmund found the release clatch on the collar, and Garruk broke into a grin a few seconds after Sigmund tried it on.<br>"Gotcha" He said darkly, before picking up one of his guards and throwing it at him. Sigmund raised his hands to block the flailing vampire, snorting derisively, only to be smashed aside by him. "Avancyn! Heads up!"  
>Avancyn grabbed his sword as Garruk threw it, turning and parrying a thrust from one of the guards. Garruk took out another with one swing of his axe, before stretching his arm out and muttering something. From the ground, a group of vines rose up and wrapped itself around the third guard's pike, reducing it to soil in seconds. Unarmed, the vampire hissed and dove for Garruk's neck, only to be slammed against a wall.<p>

Meanwhile, Avancyn took a step back and breathed carefully as his two opponents stalked him slowly. Concentrating as hard as he could, he carefully forced himself to feel the strength of the plains outside his hometown in Gavony, imagining the breeze and the simple stretches of farmland. Through this, he carefully brought a steady trickle of white mana – almost nothing compared to the ease Garruk brought his forward – and shaped it in his left hand, carefully considering what he was going to do with it, while breathing an incantation under his breath.

"_A single blade is all it takes/A force of strength that cannot break/No matter of high birth or low/A moment of Heroism can drive it all_"

He could feel the strength the simple spell gave to him flood his body, and his sword glowed white with the energies contained within it. Startled, the first of the guards lunged out in desperation, but Avancyn forced the pike aside and brought his sword crashing down on his exposed neck, decapitating him easily. The second was more methodical, lashing out with the pike to the left before bringing it forwards again, using the reach to keep Avancyn and his sword away from him until the spell dissipated.

Back to Garruk, he kept the fourth vampire pressed against the wall with one ham-sized fist, slowly choking it to death, while his axe rested at his side and his free right arm pointed at the dazed Sigmund and the fifth vampire.

"You're next." He muttered, snapping the vampire's neck and hefting his axe. Sigmund pulled the collar off his neck with a snarl.

"Clever plan. Some kind of power seal, right planeswalker? However you managed to keep that secret from Anastasia, I'll never know." He said casually. "Not that it'll matter, since you're going to die here anyway!"  
>He raised his hand in hate and pointed one finger at him, a storm of red mana clustering around it.<p>

"_A simple task/Shock mine foes!_"

The three entwining bolts of lightning lept from his fingers and ripped through Garruk's left shoulder, drawing a cry of pain from him, before he launched himself forwards, a rapier appearing from out of nowhere in his hands to come slashing down at his exposed neck. The fifth vampire guard dove towards Avancyn from behind, just as the effects of his last spell began to wear off. Cursing, he dove backwards and tried to bring forth more mana, but couldn't.

The two vampires grinned and dove for him, their halberds slashing down. Avancyn managed to block one, but the other slashed across his thigh, downing him. He desperately fended off two more strikes, but one of them forced his longsword out of his hand and the two prepared to stab him-

-only for a hand to shoot out from behind one of the room's blue curtains and snap its neck!

The other spun in disbelief, only for a glimmering rapier to stab him through the stomach and leave him to bleed to death. Anastasia smirked at Avancyn.

"Evidently, you need to take better care of yourself." She said conversationally. Avancyn fainted.

Garruk tried to force Sigmund off through sheer strength of muscle, but the vampire's unnatural strength fought back at every turn. Desperately, Garruk gave a wild swing with his fist, but the vampire's unnatural speed and skill was far greater than his, and it missed by a mile, only for Sigmund's rapier to slash down on his neck, leaving a deep cut. Garruk staggered back and took off his helmet with one hand, breathing deeply. Sigmund frowned and sighed.  
>"Pity. You were actually pretty good."<br>His sword slashed down, but Garruk's left hand – his unarmed hand – came up and grabbed the blade with more speed than Sigmund could gather!  
>Sigmund's face turned confused, and it turned out that that was the expression his head would carry for all eternity as Garruk's axe slammed down on his neck. Growling, Garruk looked at the world through black eyes, his veins pulsing against his skin as he lost control once more.<p>

Fortunately, it was then that Anastasia's fist collided with his face, breaking his nose and knocking him out.

* * *

><p>The first thing Avancyn noted when he awoke was that he was still in what remained of the bloodhall after their battle.<p>

"Alive. That must be good." He said lightly.

"It's a start." Anastasia's voice came from behind the chair he was in. He turned his head sharply, only to see her in a dark red dress that reached to just above her ankles instead of her more traditional wear.

"What's with the-"  
>"The matriarch of a family's got to look good, you know." She said calmly, standing up again. "Thanks for fulfilling one part of my dream. Only two left to go."<br>Avancyn's face fell. "So that's why you wanted him dead – by killing the vampire that turned you, you became matriarch of your own brood."  
>"Not if I killed him – only if another did." Anastasia inclined her head. "Don't worry, I'll keep my end of the deal. Three hundred angels, and Liliana Vess' last known location. All I ask is that you stay out of my business for a while."<br>Avancyn snorted. "If I say 'no', you're just going to kill me anyway."  
>Anastasia smiled thinly. "Oh, I don't know about that. You're starting to be interesting. How many slayers are mana-mages, Avancyn?"<br>Avancyn turned away from her, flushing. "None of them. It's a belief that if you can use mana demons can corrupt you."  
>Anastasia's smile became genuine. "You are something quite fascinating, Avancyn. You should find out more."<p>

Avancyn shot her a confused look. "Where's Garruk?"  
>"Awake and already going back to the inn to tidy up some loose ends. I explained everything to him – don't worry, the collar's back on."<br>Avancyn sighed in disbelief. "So, this was all your little game, was it?"  
>Anastasia frowned for a second. "Game? Don't be ridiculous. This is all part of a grand plan."<p>

"And what will this plan result in? Ruling all Stensia?"  
>Anastasia smiled brightly. "Oh, I can't say. That would ruin the fun."<p>

* * *

><p>It took another hour before Garruk returned, in a fairly bad mood. "Alright, vampire, you got what you wanted from us, now where is she?"<br>Anastasia sighed and unrolled a map on top of the table. "After talking to Sigmund, she moved towards the hinterlands, seeking a harbor…here, Stumkoff."  
>She tapped a small red dot to the north of the mountains, through a forest.<p>

"From there, we don't know where she'd go, but I'd assume she'd try to make contact with the Skirsdag, a demon-worshipping cult."  
>"Why?" Avancyn asked simply. Anastasia shrugged.<br>"She was hunting down this demon, Grisl-something-or-other, through the planes. Apparently she thinks he came from here."  
>Garruk raised an eyebrow. "That would explain a great deal of her power – if she got it from a pact with demons."<br>Anastasia nodded. "That's correct. However, with this chain veil artifact that you encountered, she's no longer needing them, so she's going to kill them to free herself from their service."  
>Garruk scowled deeply. "Alright, but where would she go to contact the Skirsdag?"<br>Anastasia nodded towards the northern side of Innistrad. "Across the oceans, there's two main points she could go to. There's an old isolated chapel they use frequently here-" She tapped an area in the middle of a group of swamps to the northeast. "Or, alternatively, there's been a large amount of demon sightings here."  
>She tapped a location deep in the mountains of the far north. "These are called the sulfur falls – apparently, they're no ordinary waterfalls – they also spout fire."<br>"A volcano and a river in the same place." Garruk muttered. "Interesting."  
>Anastasia nodded.<p>

"I've already arranged transport for you in Stumkoff to take you to the town of Aldorf in the moorlands, the closest port to the chapel. Be warned, it's meant to be a real safe haven for ghosts and spirits."  
>Avancyn chortled to himself. "After what we faced today, ghosts and spirits would be a welcome diversion."<br>Anastasia smiled. "I can imagine, yes. Better get going, then."  
>Garruk nodded and stormed out the door. Avancyn turned to go, before Anastasia called out to him.<p>

"Herr Slayer?"  
>He stopped and turned, an eyebrow raised, before Anastasia walked right up to him. It was then he noticed just how tall she really was – at least a head taller than he was, and probably slightly more than Garruk. He opened his mouth to say something when she leaned over and pressed her lips to his forehead.<p>

His brain shut down for a second, until he felt something warm and wet trickle down from where she kissed him. He reached up to touch it, and his fingers came away red.

"Blood?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've not bitten me, have you?"  
>"Don't be ridiculous." She snorted. "It's a charm known to my race that marks you as safe from any vampire who wishes to attack you – unless they wish to invoke the rage of the Matriarch of Falkenrath."<br>Avancyn nodded carefully. "I see. Thank you, then."

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>They spent another two days in Stromkirk before leaving – mainly to say goodbye to Johan, who made them promise to return once they finished, but also to see the end results of the chaos they caused. The vampires stalking the streets changed their armor from black to blood red, and it was announced that the weekly visitations ended, and that Countess Anastasia would enjoy a much more public relationship than Count Sigmund.<p>

Avancyn remembered how Garruk snorted. "Probably knows how to put on makeup to look human. Women, never change no matter the species."

The day they left, mounted on a pair of white stallions and carrying more gold than Avancyn had seen in his life, Anastasia was waiting for them outside the city gates.

"You're certain you want to go after her? She can control her powers as a planeswalker, and she's much older than you are, Garruk."  
>Garruk growled dangerously. "I shall complete my vengeance!"<br>Avancyn paused to figure out how that made sense as a sentence, before Anastasia laughed.  
>"I figured you might say that. Therefore, I'm coming with you."<br>There was a pregnant pause.

"I'm sorry, what?" Avancyn got out eventually. Anastasia shrugged.  
>"The matriarch doesn't really do anything, and I'm not Sigmund – I don't like sitting around drinking rich wine and reading good books. No, I need to do something, and it'll take months before the Falkenrath are organized enough to take on the Markov." She mounted her own black stallion and brought it up alongside them. "So, this seemed to be the most entertaining option."<p>

Garruk opened his mouth to protest when Anastasia continued. "Besides, I know the land you're going to better than Avancyn or you – why waste money on a guide when I can pay for myself?"  
>Garruk shut up. Avancyn considered protesting, until he realized that having such a powerful ally along could only have positive benefits for them.<p>

Besides, they had bigger prey to hunt than one vampire.

"Alright, fine, but you'll need to keep your head down in towns and cities – we are not going to help you if you get attacked." He said grudgingly. Anastasia just smiled.

"You really are quite unusual for a slayer, aren't you, Herr Avancyn?"

She rode out ahead of them, and Avancyn and Garruk followed. Avancyn leaned over to Garruk and whispered into his ear.  
>"Did you notice that cut on her thigh?"<br>Garruk snorted. "She bit off more than she can chew, or I'm a Bottle Gnome!"  
>Avancyn looked at him, confused. "What's a Bottle Gnome?"<br>"It's quite possibly the strangest and most pointless creature in all of the multiverse."  
>And so, the planeswalker, the slayer and the vampire set out to look for a necromancer who was looking for a demon, and what was undeniably the strangest chapter in Innistrad's most eventful time period began in earnest.<p>

* * *

><p><em>AN On the Uses of Magic: I understand that there are no incantations in the canon novel-verse, but we've not seen how Innistrad uses it - they don't actually need the incantation, it's just something they thought they did, hence why Garruk could use Naturalize without saying anything._

_So, our strange little party sets out for the real adventure now. Yes, I fully intend to visit all the lands in the set, with the Bloodhall being here and Aldorf being Moorland Haunt. I felt it would help bring the set to life in this story._

_Thoughts? Opinions? Critique? Flames? I can use them to heat the fireplace, you have no IDEA how cold it is up here in Canada._


	3. Avancyn's Diary: On the Order of Slayers

_A/N: Because I decided I wanted to write more, here's a nice short-ish journal entry from Avancyn giving a nice bit of background and character relationship, along with some continuity jokes. On a side note, if anyone wants to know how Innistrad's incantation-fueled mana works, drop me a review and I'll do another short-ish diary entry._

**Garruk and Avancyn**

**Diary 1 – The Order of the Slayers**

_By FutureCam_

_Inspired by William King's "Gotrek and Felix" novels_

_Avancyn's diary, day 149 of the 105__th__ year since Avacyn Rising_

_Anastasia, Garruk and I are cooped up in a cave under a cliff while the mother of all storms rages outside. Anastasia actually seemed nervous – when I asked her about it, she just said that she hated strong winds, since they could rip the wings straight off her if she was in her bat form. Garruk just laughed at her and stood outside for most of it, showing off. Then a bolt of lightning nearly hit him, so he came inside wordlessly._

_I managed to keep myself from laughing but Anastasia had no such restraints. It's strange, travelling with a vampire – I keep expecting her to be a monster, like Sigmund was, like I was brought up to be. The kind of monster I was trained to kill. While she certainly wasn't a nice person – she did have plans regarding all of Stensia falling under her control – Garruk has assured me that, compared to some humans he's met or heard of, she's practically tame. He promised to tell me about a guy called 'Jace Belaren' sometime – apparently he was a bit of a nutjob who used to hang out with Liliana, until she stabbed him in the back and left. _

_Still, Anastasia is deceptively good company, and Garruk hasn't tried to actively murder her yet, so I suppose I should just suck it up and live with her. Not to mention her obvious physical attractiveness – I wonder how I'm meant to ask about why all vampires are beautiful without sounding like a flirt? Is it something in the venom or whatever, or do they just not go after the ugly ones?_

_Of course, when I return to the Slayer Order I'll need to burn this diary or hide it very, very well anyway, because they'd just straight up kill me for this. Or my magic. Or my 'unorthodox' methods of working._

…_Ah, the Order. I owe it so much, yet it continues to disgust me in new and colorful ways each time I show up at a headquarters. I don't deny that it does valuable work, and it certainly saves the Cathars from dying quite as often if we go after the more dangerous beasts, but I can't help but think that it would run smoother if we DIDN'T have such a strict dogma. The current creed is just ridiculous, I mean look at it!_

_Never harm an innocent (Okay),_

_Never practice magic – it shall draw demons (Not killed me yet)_

_Never compromise (Uh, YES, compromise.)_

_Never Retreat (…hell, I'd run away from an Army of the Damned and scream for the nearest regiment of Cathars, not stand there like an idiot and die. Poor Wilhelm…that wasn't a nice way to go.)_

_**  
>I mean, seriously. Look at the last three. Tapping mana does nothing of the sort – the whole farce about members of the Church being the only ones who can use it is stupid. Yes, it's hard to find someone with enough natural talent to self-teach themselves like I did, but you'd think they'd capitalize on it if they did.<em>

_The second one…well, I would have died as soon as Garruk showed up for if I'd just continued trying to kill him, no question about it. And then we wouldn't have stopped the Darkstone Ring Summonings, or Sigmund's complete control of Stromkirk, or even be on the tail of such a dangerous individual as Liliana._

_The final one…poor Wilhelm. I thought he was vaguely intelligent when I took classes with him, but the fool always did take the creed too seriously. I paid that damn Sticher back, though – he'll never make another homunculus again._

_I do have to be thankful to the Order, though – they taught me swordsmanship, and gave me this sword. Ten grueling years training at the Cliff of Soldiers, that damn white castle overlooking the sea – I was twelve when I started, for crying out loud. I didn't know I'd have to run up and down a cliff twice before breakfast and three times after it! _

_It was either that, or become a member of the Church – orphans on Innistrad don't have many options. At least the Order could guarantee a spot after the ten years of schooling and training, though they didn't tell us that was due to the high fatality rates. Idle conversation with Garruk led to the revelation that the Order is somewhat similar to the 'Knights' of other worlds – organizations of men in armor who train since youth to become members of it in full, except we receive proper schooling too – math, philosophy and mythology are some of the more pointless ones I remember, although Mythology started being called Demonology fairly recently, what with the increase in Demon sightings._

_The ones I cared for, of course, were Geography, swordsmanship, forestry and all the other ones. Training in combat, survival, dialects, languages and locations, then we got kicked out the door and told to come back when we hit 50 and still alive to become an instructor._

_We used to wonder there were only 8 there, there were hundreds of us each year! Then the truth sank in – this world is dangerous, very, very dangerous._

_I envy Garruk, this 'Jace', even Liliana. They can leave. Me? I'm stuck here forever, on a forsaken rock where you can't even be given the certainty that you'll get a good proper rest after you get yourself killed._

_Planeswalker spark…hell, I'm surprised there's not more planeswalkers from here. If they activate in times of stress or upheaval, then everyone with a bloody spark should have activated and ran as far away as possible – or died to quickly, one of the two._

_The storm is beginning to quiet down, and Stumkoff is only a half-day's ride off. The Hinterlands are meant to be as peaceful as it gets here – maybe we can enjoy a day of rest first. After all, it's a harbor full of armed sailors – what could possibly try to kill us there?_

_I just know I'm going to regret saying that._


End file.
